


The Set-Up

by tardiscrashing



Category: Star Trek RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 12:38:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tardiscrashing/pseuds/tardiscrashing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe makes a date for his brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Set-Up

His hands reached out, fingers interlocking together, he pulled back and gave his knuckles a sharp crack before letting out a deep breath, and moving his hands to rest behind his hand. "Will you hurry up? We're going to be late!"

"I'm looking for shoes!" came the reply.

"What happened to the ones you were wearing?"

"They weren't right!"

"Christ' Pine! You're as bad as Zach!" Joe Quinto yelled into the slightly ajar bedroom door of Chris Pine, who was currently scrambling for a non-lunch date with Joe and Zach. Joe knew about Chris' crush on his brother, had known for months. As observant as Zach was, he wasn't seeing it. So Joe had a plan, for the three of them to have a meal together and then he would find some excuse to leave. 

Chris wasn't so sure about Joe's plan.  
~~**~~

 

When they got there, Zach hadn't arrived yet. Joe noticed that Chris decided this would be the perfect time to fidget, look around uncomfortably, and rearrange everything on his person like someone with severe OCD. 

"You're lucky there aren't any cameras around, they would be eating this up." Joe said.

"Huh? There's cameras?" Chris asked, his head snapping up.

Joe sighed, rubbing his temples with his fingers, "No, I just said..." He reached out and clamped a hand over top of one Chris', "Will you calm down? It's just lunch."

"What? It's not just lunch. Don't say it's just lunch, like it doesn't mean anything. This could be it. The make-it or break-it day. The last year and a half of my life all whittled down to one tiny moment."

"You've had a crush on Zach for a year and a half? So how come I've only known these past eight months?" Joe asked.

"You weren't supposed to know at all. I slipped, ok? I just...god I can't do this." Chris placed his arms on the table and rested his forehead on them. 

"He could walk in any minute." Joe said, in a somewhat sing-song tone, looking around the restaurant for his brother. 

"Ok. Just...let me go fix my hair." 

"Your hair looks fine."

Chris' eyes registered a somewhat concerned panic. He got up from the table and headed toward the men's room. Joe let out another exasperated sigh. He didn't think this would be this difficult. This wasn't supposed to be difficult at all. Although Zach had voiced any interest in Chris, you'd have to be deaf and blind to not notice the chemistry between them. Joe went online. He read things. He heard the talk amongst their other friends. Everyone tried to keep it very hush-hush, but they knew.

~~**~~

The server came back with their drinks, and Joe sent him away for the time being. He glanced down at his watch, then back up just in time to see Zach walk through the door. Joe was relieved that he had taken the time to dress up somewhat, thinking he might just show up in those same jeans he always wore and some t-shirt he probably found at a thrift store. But he looked nice, not overdressed, just nice. Joe smiled up at him as he pulled a chair out and sat down.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic." Zach said, immediately reaching for a menu. "Where's Chris?"

"Restroom. Zach..." Joe leaned in closer, "Before Chris gets out here I want to ask you something. What do you think of him?"

"What sort of a question is that?"

"Can you answer?"

"He's my best friend."

"That's who he is. Not what you think of him. The question was, what do you think of him?"

"I think he's...." Zach looked up, a smile gracing his lips, "Absolutely wonderful."

Joe grinned in return, "That's just what I needed to hear." 

Joe reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, standing up quickly just as Chris was walking over to the table. The sandy haired young man locked eyes on his friend's older brother, that terrified stare returning. "Joe?"

"Chris?" Zach turned around.

"Zach?!" Chris hadn't even noticed him yet, running a hand through newly coiffed hair. Every strand fell right back into place. "When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago." Zach shifted his eyes back to Joe, "Joe, what are you doing? Sit down."

"Yes Joe, please, sit down." Chris pleaded through his teeth.

"I am so sorry guys, but I just got a text message about this job that I completely forgot about. I have to go."

"But, Joe!" Chris nervously glanced over at Zach, hoping his anxiety wasn't too obvious, "What do I do about...that problem?" 

"You'll be fine. Really. It's not as much of a problem as you think it is. Matter of fact, talk to Zach. He's great at giving advice. Oh and Chris, your hair looks great." Joe waved at the two of them, before heading out the door.

Chris watched Joe walk away, and then suddenly remembered that Zach was sitting at the table. Embarrassed and afraid, Chris pulled out his chair and sat down silently, reaching for his water glass. He breathed deeply and took a big sip.

"Are you okay?" Zach asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. You?"

"Good." Zach cocked an eyebrow, somewhat baffled at Chris' behavior. "Your hair does look really good. "

"Really?" A smile broke through.

"Yeah. And um...can I tell you something else?"

"Sure."

Zach leaned in close, Chris doing the same, until their noses were inches apart.

"I don't really like this restaurant." Zach said.

Chris chuckled, "Me either. But Joe was just so insistent on..."

"I know. This is like his favorite place. For reals. I mean, look what I had to wear to come here."

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Chris asked.

"Could we?"

The two friends stood up, laughing, and walked out of the restaurant. Chris strolling casually at Zach's side with his hands in his pockets.   
~~**~~

"So where are we going?" Chris asked.

"I have a place in mind. Good food, good atmosphere, reasonably priced, the staff is a bit bitchy but you take the good with the bad."

"Where is this place?"

"My apartment."

"The staff is a bit bitchy? I beg to differ."

"Oh, you are so lucky I like you so much." Zach said, draping an arm across Chris' shoulder. Chris in turned wrapped an arm around Zach's waist. 

"How much? Enough to make me pancakes?"

"Pancakes? It's 3 in the afternoon!"

"It's never the wrong time for pancakes!" Chris said very enthusiastically.

Zach only smiled and shook his head, turning to look into the swirling blue eyes of his companion, "Ok. I'll make pancakes. Just for you." Zach tugged Chris a little closer, causing Chris' heart rate to quicken and that smile to become plastered to his face. Down the path a ways, Joe watched his brother and his friend walking away, before he stepped back in to his favorite restaurant.


End file.
